1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a reciprocating piston engine that optionally operates in a diesel operating mode with a liquid fuel or a gas operating mode using a gaseous fuel. The inventive engine has at least one main combustion chamber. The main combustion has an inlet for gas and/or air, an injection device and an outlet. At least one precombustion chamber is connected to each main combustion chamber via an output opening in said main combustion chamber and each precombustion chamber has a device to ignite its contents during gas operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a known generic reciprocating piston engine, the main combustion chamber may optionally be filled with either a gas-air mixture via a feed line in gas operation or with liquid fuel via an injection device and air via a feed line in diesel operation. In gas operation, an ignition oil is injected into the precombustion chamber, which opens in the main combustion chamber. When the contents of the main combustion chamber, and thus the contents of the precombustion chamber connected thereto, are compressed, the ignition oil is ignited upon an upward piston stroke. The ignition oil thereby emerges into the main combustion chamber and ignites the gas located therein. The gas in the main combustion chamber will not self-ignite without the ignition oil being ignited in a precombustion chamber, and will ignite only poorly by means of applied ignition in the main combustion space. However, when the gas is ignited with ignition oil, unsatisfactory-and, in certain locations, impermissible-concentrations of NO.sub.x are created due to the ignition oil. Furthermore, when gas operation is planned, ignition oil must be kept available for ignition at all times. Moreover, the spark plug in the precombustion chamber must also operate during diesel operation, so that it does not clog.